Your Healing Touch
by Burrberry Bugsy
Summary: A secret that could quite possibly be one of the biggest things she was hiding from the world. And I, a man who didn't know her or anything about her life at all, was in on it. But, if it took days or weeks or even months, I would help her. DISCONTINUED
1. Chapter One: Out From Under

**Author's Notes**: New story idea that popped into my head while I was driving home the other day since it took me THREE HOURS, when it usually takes less than five minutes. Crazy! A SWAT team, a helicopter, too many cops to count, and backed up traffic for miles. Guess what all the fuss was over? The police recognized a stolen car and its thief. At first I thought it was blown into too huge a thing until I realized the car thief had stolen a cop's gun and shot him! Not to mention the fact that the stolen car had three guns in there! YIKES.

Anyway, no more rambling about real life. But basically, I had a lot of time on my hands, and this idea came up. If you don't like it, that's fine. Just wanted to give it a shot. A little more angsty and drama-filled than my other work in progress _Hello, Stranger_. You've been warned! Do give this a chance though, please? :)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight! Or the song "Cut" by Plumb. Don't sue me, pleaaase!

* * *

**Your Healing Touch**

**Chapter One**

**Out From Under  
**

**  
**_**I'm not a stranger; I am yours.  
With crippled anger and tears that still drip sore,  
I do not want to be afraid;  
I'm tired of feeling so numb.**_

_**"Cut" -- Plumb**_

* * *

"Do you feel anything when I do this?" I pressed lightly on inside of the man's wrist, making a mental note as he winced a little at the touch. "Hurts?"

"Just a little, doc." He replied.

I nodded. "Do you still feel numbness in your fingers?"

"Yeah. I can barely curl my hand into a fist."

"Are you still waking up at night from these pains?"

"All the time."

I reached over to the table behind me and grabbed the clipboard, scribbling down some notes. "This is the sixth time you've seen me in three months, Mr. Stephens. Have you considered the surgery we discussed during your last visit?"

He swallowed hard and sighed quietly. "I don't know, doc. As much as this whole carpal tunnel syndrome thing bothers me, I just really don't think the wife and I have enough to pay the medical bills."

"How about this then," I started. "I'll refer you to the orthopedic surgeon here and you can make an appointment with him. You two can discuss the financial part of it, make phone calls with your insurance company, and he can go more into details about the surgery. Would you like that?"

"That'd be great, doc. Thanks."

"It's no problem at all." I replied, scribbling more notes onto the clipboard. "Here is Dr. Truman's office number and hours. Tell him Edward Cullen sent you." I pulled a slip of paper out of my pocket and wrote Lasix, the same prescription I'd been giving him the past three months. "Remember, twice a day with or without meals. Don't forget to drink plenty of fluids since it tends to get you dehydrated. If for any reason you need to consult with me again, don't hesitate to make an appointment." With that being said, I handed him the prescription slip and stood up. "If you don't have any questions, you're free to go, Mr. Stephens."

He put his hand in mine and shook it with a smile on his face. "Thanks so much, Dr. Cullen."

I nodded and tucked the pen back into my pocket, closing the door behind me. It had been a long day at work so far, but I only had one more patient to see to and I could go home and rest. Yes, 60-hours a week was hard work but I did not go through four years of college and four years of medical school and thousands upon thousands of dollars from my parents to just whine about being tired. This was what I wanted to do – what I _loved_ to do.

"Edward," One of the nurses called from behind, handing me a clipboard. "your next patient is in room 104."

I flipped through the diagnosis and x-rays she had previously taken care of for me. "Is she conscious?"

"Last I checked, she was."

"Alright, thank you, Alice." I turned on my heel but paused and turned to her once again. "And I'd appreciate it if you called me Dr. Cullen once in a while."

She rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out. "The only person I'd ever refer to as Dr. Cullen is Carlisle. It's not like you refer to me as Nurse Alice!"

"It doesn't have a good ring to it." I chuckled, stepping away from her small form.

"Doesn't have a good ring to it," she mocked behind me as I laughed again, heading in the direction of my last patient's room, knocking lightly on the door when I got there to let her know I was coming in.

She stared at me with a confused expression as I closed the door behind me. "You're... not Dr. Stiles?" It sounded like a question.

"No. Your previous physician, Dr. Stiles, was relocated to another hospital in the area." I pulled the seat closer to her and sat down. "I'm Dr. Cullen, your new doctor."

She blinked and nodded slowly, fidgeting with the hospital's trademark plastic band around her wrist.

"Ms. Swan—"

"You can just call me Bella."

"Okay, well, Bella, you've got quite a list here. Minor injury to the head, bruising and swelling on your right side, possible fracture on the left of the ribcage... What exactly did you do to injure yourself so badly?"

"I fell while I was hiking." she answered almost instantly, tucking her long brown hair behind her ear. "I'm really, really clumsy. Ask anyone that knows me."

"You need to be more careful next time. Let's see, can you brush your hair out of the way?" She did as I asked and I gently probed my fingers along her injury, noticing as she winced a bit. "Does that hurt?"

"A little," she confessed, opening one of her eyes to peek at what I was doing.

"Your x-rays show no internal brain damage and your skull seems to feel fine." I moved down the list. "Okay, now can you lie back for me, Isabella?"

"Bella."

"_Bella_," I chuckled a little as she did as I requested, lying with her back flat against the hospital bed. "I'll need you to lift your shirt a bit. Just enough for me to see the swelling." Bella flushed a little at the request, but nodded and lifted her shirt up just a few inches. It wasn't even enough to see her belly button, but I did, in fact, get a glimpse of the enormous bruise on the side that Alice had noted on her diagnosis. "That doesn't look too pleasant."

"It hurts like hell." she admitted, pulling her shirt back down.

"I'll bet." I made some notes of my own on the clipboard and put it back down. "Take a deep breath in for me."

Bella inhaled a breath and hissed in pain almost immediately. "I can't."

"I'm sorry if this causes you any kind of discomfort, but I have to be sure." I placed my hand down on the left side of her ribcage, pushing down a little as I traced the lines of her bones with my thumb. I winced when she cried out and I already knew by the feel of it that it had, indeed, been minimally fractured.

"I don't need surgery, do I?" Bella choked out. "Please say no, Dr. Cullen. I hate blood and even just imagining—"

"No need to worry, Ms. Swan." I tried to calm her down. "Your x-rays look good. There's no major damage to your head and your ribs should be completely healed within a few weeks."

"And the bruise?"

"The swelling will go down if you promise to get plenty of rest and ice it up. Have you had past allergic reactions to any type of medicine?"

"No. I don't think I'm allergic to anything actually."

"Good, good." With a nod, I pulled the prescription pad out of my pocket again and decided OxyContin would be fine for her. "I'm going to prescribe you some pain killers to help with the pain. I want you to talk to the receptionist at the front to make a follow-up appointment with me in two weeks so I can keep an eye on your recovery, alright?"

Bella nodded and stood up with a groan, her injuries preventing her from being able to do anything without there being some kind of pain involved. "Thanks, Dr. Cullen."

"Do you have any questions or concerns?"

She shook her head and took the piece of paper I was handing to her, placing her hand on the door handle to exit.

"Oh, and Bella?"

She stopped and turned back to me while shoving the prescription slip into her back pocket. "Yeah?"

"Please try to be careful while hiking next time."

With a small smile, she nodded while inhaling through her nose and stepped out of the room.

My eyes went back to the clipboard, filling in some spots I'd managed to miss. Once I was finished, I headed to reception and noticed Bella wasn't there. It made me question whether or not she made the follow-up appointment like I'd asked her to. "Angela."

Angela looked up from the long list of medical billing statements. "Yes, Dr. Cullen?"

"Did an Isabella Swan schedule a follow-up with me two weeks from now?"

"Isabella Swan..." she shuffled the billing statements out of the way and ran her finger down the long list of appointments. "Yes. At 2:00 PM the Friday after next."

So, she _did_ make the appointment. That took me by surprise since she was gone before I could even step out of the room. "Will you do me a favor and get me her medical records, please?"

"Certainly, Dr. Cullen," Angela shoved off the desk and the wheeled chair made its way a few feet behind her where a huge shelf with hundreds of folders were neatly lined up.

"You couldn't have just gotten up?" I chuckled, slipping out of the white doctor's coat I was wearing.

"When you sit here for six hours at a time, you tend to get bored and find little things to do to entertain yourself." Angela laughed. "Isabella Swan, was it?"

"Yes."

She picked the folder out and wheeled her way back to the desk, handing it to me with a smile. "See how much fun that can be for a receptionist like me?"

I couldn't help but laugh again. "I'll just look over these and I'll have it back to you as soon as I get something to eat from the cafeteria."

"Sure thing. I'll be here." She took my white coat and placed it on the coat rack a few feet away from her.

My stomach was growling as I opened up Bella's medical records, suddenly shocked at how much of an accident magnet this girl seemed to be. She was a frequent patient of Dr. Stiles it seemed, since she had had more than fifteen appointments with him in the course of only half a year. That was just about two appointments every month and every time had a different reason. Stitches, a broken leg, frequent headaches, nausea, overexertion, you name it and this girl's had it. "Either she really _is_ just very clumsy or she has the worst luck. Maybe both." I muttered to myself, continuing to read down the long list of physical injuries Isabella Swan had in the past.

* * *

I threw my coat on the floor, loosened my tie, kicked off my shoes and fell lazily against the softness of my bed. "_Finally_," I groaned, ready to just sleep in what I had on. My sleep cycle was entirely messed up. The hideous dark bags that were beginning to form underneath my eyes and my constant yawns were proof of that. Even my appetite had changed. Doctors were being shuffled between hospitals back and forth, which just meant more patients and more hours for me on short notice. When I'd decided to follow in Carlisle's footsteps and become a doctor, I knew what I was getting myself into. As much as I hated being deprived of valuable sleep time, I had to admit, I still loved my job.

My mind and body were finally beginning to wander off to sleep. That is, until my cell phone rang annoyingly and loudly in my ear. I cursed quietly. I had two separate lines. My office line was used for appointment purposes and everything else that was medical-related. My cell phone was a private line that only a few people had access to, so I knew it had to be someone I was well acquainted with. When I read the name on the outside screen, I almost didn't answer since I was so annoyed. But I knew damn well if I had screened Alice's phone call, she'd make sure I'd regret it. Grudgingly, I flipped it open, "Hello?"

"Edward,"

I pinched the bridge of my nose and tried to keep my calm. So long as she didn't mention something completely irrelevant, I'd be fine. "Alice, I just finished a thirteen hour shift, can I please get some rest?"

"It's regarding that new patient of yours, Isabella Swan."

For some reason, that had caught my attention. "I'm listening."

"She was just admitted to the ER." Alice sighed. "She has a gash that needed to be stitched up right away. She wrapped saran wrap around it JUST so she wouldn't smell the blood and fainted when she got here! Edward, how could you have _missed_ that earlier today? It's HUGE!"

"Wait a second." I thought back to an hour or two ago. "She didn't have that gash on her leg when I was analyzing her wounds. You should know, Alice! You were with her before I was!"

I heard Alice gasp quietly. "You're right."

"Did she mention _how_ she got it? Did she fall while hiking again?"

"I told you, Edward, she fainted when she got here. Dr. Oakes is stitching her leg up as we speak. I can get her diagnosis when she wakes up."

I shook my head even though I knew Alice wouldn't see it. Something just... wasn't right. "I'll ask her myself when she comes to. The whole doctor-patient confidentiality will help me out, I think." I grabbed my coat and shoes.

"Alright then, if you say so. I'll see you in a bit."

"I'll be there soon." I hung up and shoved my phone into my pants pocket. As much as I wanted to rest, the well being of my patients was much, much more important to me. I made a mental note in my head to give Dr. Stiles a call first thing in the morning. Maybe he could help me out a little bit with the accident queen herself, Isabella Swan. Once I'd had my shoes and doctor's coat on properly again, I was out the door and back on my way towards the Regional Medical Center of Tacoma.

.

.

.

.

_**End of Chapter One**_

* * *

**Author's Notes:** New story idea! Yay or nay? Hmm. Can anybody guess why Bella's always getting herself into trouble? If you think you have an idea, let me know! I'll be sure to let you know if you're correct. Hint: She's not suicidal or into the whole "I like to cut myself because it makes me happy" shindig. I probably gave it away right there, but feel free to guess still if you please! I'll reveal her secret next chapter :) I know this idea has probably also most likely been done before, but you can't blame me for wanting to write it my way! Haha. Okay, so I guess we'll see how this appeals to people.

Oh, and please don't ask _why_ I always have the Cullens as doctors. I think it just suits them, honestly. Wouldn't you want Edward Cullen checking your temperature and listening to your heart with his stethoscope? I know I'd always get myself into trouble if it meant Edward Cullen being the one to make sure I was okay. -Swoon- HAHAHA sorry! I'm a total fangirl, if you hadn't noticed. -Runs from other diehard Edward Cullen fans-

I have a tendency to ramble on in my author's notes, so I'll stop here. I've said it before, but please PLEASE review! I'd love to hear your feedback and anything will help! Oh, and if it's not too much to ask, please do check out my other works, too! **_Hello, Stranger_** and **_I Want You to Want Me_** (for the SMC contest)! Thank you, thank you!

--_Burrberry Bugsy_


	2. Chapter Two: Secrets of the Heart

**Author's notes: **So I've FINALLY updated this! I'm sorry it took so long, but the idea came to me before I could even think about how I wanted to play the storyline out. But after sitting down and organizing my ideas along with the help of a great friend of mine, I've finally figured it all out. This is in Edward's POV, and I'm not quite sure about throwing in Bella's POV just yet, but we'll see! I hope you all like it! Oh, and yes, I DO have a thing for doctors, I guess. HAHAHA! Maybe because I'm studying to become a registered nurse? :)

**Special thanks to: **All the reviewers I recognized from my other story _**Hello, Stranger**_. Actually, all reviewers, period! I love each and every single one of you and I promise I take all of your reviews to heart. Nothing makes me more happy than people reading my work and taking the time to tell me what they thought of it. So just know, that with every review, you make me that much happier!

Many, MANY thanks to my wonderful friend, **Erica** (aka **IcelandGirl812**) who not only is helping me get this story developed with ideas of her own, but who is also my shoulder to lean on and support system with all of my work. I know you're reading this, so thank you SO MUCH for everything you've done and everything you'll continue to do for me! You're the best, and I mean it!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything Twilight. Stephenie Meyer does, so don't sue me please. I also don't own the lovely song "Nobody Wins" by The Veronicas, but it's definitely worth a listen! Go look it up!

* * *

**  
Your Healing Touch**

**Chapter Two**

**Secrets of the Heart**

_**"What a lonely way to breathe the air, what an unlovely way to say you care  
Now we're too far gone for me to save  
Maybe there's beauty in goodbye;  
There's just no reason left to try."**_

_**"Nobody Wins" – The Veronicas  
**_

* * *

The automatic doors slid open and I noticed the waiting room of the ER wasn't as crowded as it usually was. Since the emergency room wasn't where I usually worked, I didn't really recognize the receptionist sitting behind the glass window. Maybe she was a new employee. But since she buzzed the door open right when she saw me, I knew she probably recognized me and I'd caught a glimpse of her name – Rebecca. I made a mental note of it in my head. "Excuse me, is Dr. Oakes here?"

"She's right over there, Dr. Cullen." she instructed, pointing to the front of one of the cots. "She just finished up on a patient, actually."

"Thank you, Rebecca." I walked over to her and saw Bella on the cot, still unconscious, and now dressed in a hospital gown. Her right calf, from a little below her knee to about the area of her ankle, was covered in gauze as I sighed. "How is she, Karen?"

"She's fine. The gash on her leg was a deep, jagged one and required a few stitches. Her friend said she tripped while going down a flight of stairs. She'll need to refrain from any major physical activities for a few days, but other than that, it will heal completely with minimal scarring." Karen pointed out, signing some papers. "But what are you doing here, Edward? Don't tell me you're still working?"

"No, I'm off. Alice called me. Bella's one of my patients I'd just seen earlier today."

"Oh, Edward." She smiled and patted my shoulder. "I've always admired your concern for your patients. You're such a sweetheart."

I smiled back. "Thank you for caring to her wound."

She handed me the papers she had signed. "Since she's one of your patients, I'll let you handle the rest because I've got more people to see to. She needs to come back in about a week so I can remove the stitches. Just let her know to take it easy, and to take Tylenol if she needs to when the medication wears off. Her friend brought her in, so I just need you to let him know that Isabella's fine and to make sure she gets home safely."

"Got it." I replied, tucking the clipboard she handed me under my arm. It wasn't until I looked back at the cot that I'd noticed Bella with one eye peeked open. "You're awake?"

Bella sighed quietly and closed her eyes. "How bad is it? I tried to listen to you and the other doctor, but I couldn't understand since your voices were too low."

I took the clipboard and flipped through the details. "Dr. Oakes said you need to come back in a week or so to have the stitches removed and to take Tylenol if you have any pain after the medication wears off."

My eyes caught Bella slapping her hand against her forehead and I knew she was probably dreading the after-effect. "Do I at least get to go home tonight?"

"Yes, your wound is fine so there's no need for us to keep you overnight. Your friend drove you here, right?"

"Yeah. He's in the waiting room, I think. Unless he left to go get some food."

"Alright, I'll be back shortly. I just need to discuss some things with him."

I walked back into the waiting room and tried to figure out which one he could be. Finally giving up, I scanned the last name quickly and called out, "Jacob Black?"

A tall, dark-skinned man stood up frantically, hurriedly making his way over to me. "Yeah, that's me."

"Mr. Black, I'm Dr. Cullen." We quickly shook hands before we went on with the conversation.

"So, Dr. Cullen, how's Bells? Is she alright?"

I assumed that was his nickname for her as I ushered him to follow me where we could talk where there weren't so many people. We sat down in a secluded room with a few chairs and a TV hanging from the ceiling. "Mr. Black, you drove Isabella here, correct?"

"Yeah, I did. And you can just call me Jacob." he said, looking antsy as he clenched and unclenched his fists repeatedly. "How is she?"

"She's doing fine. Her right leg was pretty badly cut up, but Dr. Oakes stitched her up and she's fine now. I need you to take her home because her leg is still numb from the medication."

Jacob nodded at my requests. "She'll be okay after this?"

"Yes, but since you're acquainted with her, I have to ask that you make sure she'll be careful with herself. I just saw her earlier today for other injuries. She needs to take more caution the next time she goes hiking, can you tell her that?"

His brow seemed to furrow and I noticed his hands clenching into fists again. "Dr. Cullen... is that what she told you? That her earlier injuries were caused by a _hiking_ accident?"

I stared at him curiously and put my pen down on the clipboard. "Yes, that's what she told me earlier this afternoon."

Jacob bit his lip for a reason that was unknown to me as he shook his head slowly. "Yeah well, Bella's a... total klutz."

"Seems like it." I chuckled softly, standing up to lead him back to her. "If there are no further questions, Isabella can be discharged now."

I expected him to get up and follow me out but he stayed glued to his seat, his elbows propped on his knees.

"Mr. Black?"

"Dr. Cullen," he looked up at me, his dark eyes pleading. "You guys have that... doctor-patient confidentiality, don't you?"

This caught my attention as I sat back down. "Yes... but we _do_ have limitations."

Jacob shook his head sadly and looked as if he were contemplating with his thoughts. "You seem like a good doctor, and I've been wanting to tell someone this more than anything. I just don't know who to tell. Who I _can _tell." he bit his lip and sighed heavily. "Dr. Cullen, Bella is my best friend. She's the best friend I've ever had and I don't know how much longer I can take of this."

His words began trembling and I knew something serious had to have been going on. What I wasn't sure of was if I _wanted_ to hear the truth. And if I did hear the truth, would I be able to keep it to myself? Or would it be one of those things that I just had to report? I battled with the choices in my head, trying to determine which would be the better path to follow through with. "Jacob, if you choose to tell me what's on your mind, I can't guarantee that it'll stay between us. If it's something serious, I have to report it. It's my duty as a doctor."

With another heavy sigh, Jacob hoisted himself off the chair and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Never mind. Forget I said anything. Can I take Bella home now?"

Curiosity was beginning to get the better of me, but I choked it down as I let Jacob inside the ER. He instantly smiled to see that Bella was okay and practically destroyed the cot as he lunged to gather her in his arms. "Jeez, Bells, I was so worried!"

Bella laughed and hugged Jacob in return. "Hi to you too, Jake."

I repeated what was on the clipboard once more and signed Bella's discharge approval.

"Sorry to bother you again, Dr. Cullen," Bella apologized as Jacob pulled her arm around his neck and snaked the other around her waist so he could help her to the car. "I'll be more careful next time."

"I sure hope so." I chuckled, waving them off. "But if there are any complications, you're free to come back."

She nodded at me and Jacob still looked at me with those damned eyes that were dying to tell me the secret I was forbidden to know. I watched them disappear behind the automatic doors and ran my fingers through my disheveled hair. I needed a hot shower and hours of sleep in my bed, finally feeling the exhaustion of my thirteen hour shift kick in.

* * *

The next few days were busy as usual, but eventually Saturday rolled along and it was finally my day off. I made sure I slept in until the afternoon sun shone in through my window. My eyes adjusted quickly to the brightness and once I showered and got dressed, I was on my way to the grocery store for some well needed items my refrigerator needed to be stocked with. I wandered absentmindedly down the aisles and tossed items in every now and then once I saw something that caught my eye. My mind wasn't brought back to earth until my cart collided with somebody else's, immediately regretting spacing out. "Sorry about that! I wasn't paying attention."

"Dr. Cullen?"

My eyes met with a pair of dark ones, immediately recognizing his appearance from a few nights ago at the hospital. "Oh, Mr. Black. Funny running into you here,"

"Literally." he laughed. "And remember, it's just Jacob."

"Since we're outside of hospital facilities, you can call me Edward." I turned my head to the little boy sitting inside in the cart, playing with a toy airplane joyfully. I couldn't help but grin - I loved kids. "Cute kid."

"Aw, this little sucker?" Jacob chuckled and ruffled the top of the child's brunette head. "His name is Nathan, but he prefers Nate."

I flashed the little boy a crooked grin. "Hiya there, Nate."

Jacob nudged Nate gently with his hands. "Say hi to Dr. Cullen, Nate. He's a doctor."

"Hi," Nate said with a wave, returning to his toy shortly after.

I couldn't help but chuckle. The differences between Jacob and Nate were very obvious. Their skin color was a dead give away actually. They didn't look alike at all. "Is he yours?"

He heaved a sigh and patted the top of Nate's head. "As much as I wish he was, no." His dark eyes stared into mine as Nate began babbling random noises which he probably believed were the sounds airplanes made. "He's Bella's kid."

My eyes widened. "Isabella Swan's? I wasn't aware that she had a child."

Jacob's hand rubbed against the back of his neck. "Well, technically, Nate isn't _her_ kid. It's hard to explain."

I nodded, not wanting to be rude and ask anything further. "Well Jacob, it was great to see you, but I've got to get going. Make sure Isabella takes care of herself, alright? Bye Nate." I waved at the toddler, grinning crookedly as his small hand waved back at me.

"Dr... Er, I mean, Edward." Jacob called out, stopping me from leaving. I raised a brow at him as he fumbled with his words. "Look, the spunky short nurse with the spiky black hair told me yesterday, that you care a lot about your patients. Is that true?"

It had to have been Alice. I didn't know any other people who fit that description as perfectly as it fit her. I'm sure Alice had probably informed Jacob I was on my way to the ER to check up on Bella even though I didn't need to. Alice was always so pushy with everything. "I suppose you could say that's true."

"Look, I don't want to have to force you to do anything, but I really need to talk to someone about this. You seem like a good person, doctor. Are you free later on today?" Jacob laughed and held his hands up in defense. "And before you think too far ahead, I'm straight and I'm not asking you out or anything."

I couldn't help but chuckle. His curious behavior was starting to make me question what it was he was so eager to talk about. "It's actually my day off today, so yes, I'm free."

"Great. Do you know where Wright Park is?"

I nodded and we made plans to meet at three. It wasn't odd to me that Jacob had stopped me and asked to talk to me outside of my doctor role. A lot of doctors admired the trust patients always seemed to have in me and it was one other thing I loved about my job. It was nice to pass others by and acknowledge them as friends and not just as patients.

After I dropped the groceries off at home, I bought coffee at the Starbucks near my apartment and walked the rest of the way to Wright Park. It wasn't far at all and it was too nice a day to pass up a good stroll in the park. When I got there, Jacob was nowhere in sight so I sat on a bench and watched some children run up slides and slip back down on their bellies. One thing I always wanted more than anything was a child. But with the shifts I was working, there was no way I'd be able to handle a newborn baby. I was also too busy to even have any kind of time for a relationship so either way, a child was out of the question.

"Hi!"

My head came out from the clouds when I heard that and turned my head to see the small, dark haired child I remembered from earlier scampering towards me. To my surprise, he was yanking on Bella's hand as she tried to keep up with his pace and Jacob was closely behind the both of them. Once Nate had come closer, he let go of her hand and hugged my leg tightly. "Hi! 'Member me?"

A smile graced my features as I ruffled his hair. "Of course I remember you. You're Nate, right?"

"Yeah, yeah! I'm Nate!"

"Sorry about that!" Bella apologized once she finally caught up, scooping the boy into her arms. "He gets overly excited when he remembers people sometimes."

I chuckled softly. "It's no problem at all. How are you feeling, Bella? You really shouldn't be running like that with your stitches still in otherwise you'll reopen your wound."

She arched a brow at me, shock written on her face. "Oh, Dr. Cullen! I didn't even recognize you without the white coat on!"

"No need for formalities. You can just call me Edward." I ruffled the top of Nate's head. "So, how are you feeling?"

"Kept off my feet for a few days and I've got an appointment on Tuesday to have the stitches removed." she replied while bouncing Nate in her arms. "Don't worry, the stitches are still intact otherwise I'd be on the floor writhing in pain."

"Well, that's good. How are your other injuries?"

"Everything except my ribs are doing just fine," Bella sighed and shifted the child so he leaned against her other shoulder. "Taking care of this little bugger is torture on my ribs, but that's what good ole Jake over there is for - to watch over him when I've had enough."

My eyes turned and saw Jacob starting towards me. He grinned and waved casually and I did the same. "You _do_ have to take it easy though, regardless of Jacob on the sidelines."

"I know. And, I have been taking it easy, don't worry." she replied and groaned when Nate began pulling her hair and pointed towards the gigantic slide where the other kids were playing.

"Momma! Momma, slides! Can we?! Please!" he pulled harder and I couldn't help but stifle back a laugh. He looked like he had a strong grip on her and it didn't look like the most pleasant thing in the world to endure.

"Yes, honey, we can go on the slides, okay? Please stop pulling Mommy's hair, it hurts." she pleaded, pulling his tiny hand away from her scalp. "Well, Edward, it was nice running into you outside of the hospital. I've got to bring this little titan to play before I go bald from him yanking on my hair. Say goodbye to Dr. Cullen, Nate."

"Bye bye Docta Cullen!"

Once Bella had put Nate back down on his feet, she took his hand in hers and started towards the playground. Now that I looked at them, Nate didn't look too much like Bella either. But then I remembered Jacob mentioning him not really being her kid. It was all already confusing me.

"Hey," Jacob called, slapping my back once he had caught up. "Thanks for coming."

"I gave you my word, didn't I?"

He nodded and shoved his hands into his pockets, eyeing Bella from where he was standing. "Can you tell she really loves him?"

My eyes turned to the same place he was looking, seeing Nate push himself down the slide and Bella catching him into her arms and spinning him around. It must have been nice. "So if he's not her kid..."

Jacob sighed heavily and rubbed the back of his neck. "He's... the son of Bella's boyfriend, James. His ex-girlfriend, Victoria, is the biological mother. They were together for a while, but she left him and Nate about a year ago when things got way too rough for her. James was struggling to raise Nate on his own and considered giving him up for adoption."

So, Jacob wasn't her boyfriend like I kept thinking he was. I took a sip from my coffee and waited for him to continue.

"Bella lived a few apartments down from him and heard him one night yelling at no one. He kept asking 'why did she leave me here' and all that. He was drunk off his ass. She took care of both him and Nate that night and since then, they've been together."

"Ah, I see." I mused. "Sounds like something straight out of a soap opera. I honestly could have sworn _you_ were the boyfriend."

Jacob laughed loudly at that. "No way! Been there, done that. It was like kissing my sister except worse. Bella and I could never ever be anything more than friends."

I laughed. I didn't know how it could get any worse than kissing your sister. The thought of ever having to kiss Alice already painted an ugly picture in my head. "It's how close the two of you are. Have you and Bella ever dated before?"

"Once, a few years ago. We went on a date just to see how things would be and it was fun. I guess we were mistaken because we always have fun no matter what. The both of us thought there must have been some kind of chemistry and at the end of the night, we kissed. It was the most horrible thing ever. Or well okay, not _horrible_, but just something I don't ever want to do again. I mean, don't get me wrong, she's very attractive, it's just way too weird."

I looked over at Bella again who was now pushing Nate on the swings. Jacob was definitely right about her being attractive. She looked much better in a pair of jeans and a fitted shirt rather than a hospital gown. "James is a lucky man then, I suppose."

His brows furrowed as he snorted. "James is the whole reason why I wanted you to come out here to talk to me today."

I arched a brow and looked at him with confusion. "You lost me."

"Remember when Bella came in the first day to see you? What did she tell you?"

I searched around in my head for the reason she gave me. "She said she fell while she was hiking, that she's incredibly clumsy."

Jacob shook his head. "I'll tell you this, Bella _is_ clumsy no doubt. But do you really think someone could be clumsy enough to fall while hiking _and_ fall down the stairs in the same day? It's possible, but is it likely to happen?"

I stared at him with the same confusion still written on my face. He was seriously dragging me around in a circle and I had absolutely no clue where he was trying to go with this.

"Bella doesn't hike. And she damn well didn't fall that day either, but I had to tell Dr. Oakes something other than the truth." Jacob ran his hand down his face. "James is absolute scum and I fucking hate him. The only reason why Bella is with him is because of Nate. She loves that kid as if he was her own because she has fertility issues. Bella can't have children of her own."

"Jacob, you're jumping all over the place and I'm more confused than I was before. What are you trying to say? Just tell it to me straight."

"Bella's injuries aren't caused by her clumsiness at all. They're caused by James."

.

.

.

.

_**End of Chapter Two**_

* * *

**Author's Notes:** I know the plot has been done before, but I'm still really eager to write this my own way. So, the secret has been revealed and kudos to those of you who guessed correctly! You even got to find out why she puts up with it! The reason behind the gash on her leg will be revealed next chapter. Hopefully I don't get yelled at too much for the plot, so please do review if you like where I'm going with it so far. I'd appreciate it so much!

Also, check out my other story _**Hello, Stranger**_ if you'd like! I'd really appreciate any kind of feedback as well, so if you're free, go go go! :)

The second voting round of the SMC contest has TheThreeSmutketeers' page, so please vote for me if you liked my second entry, _**Mr. And Mrs. Cullen**_ enough. It's based around the storyline of Mr. And Mrs. Smith. Thanks everyone! Until next time then!

-_-Burrberry Bugsy_


	3. Chapter Three: Feel The Pressure

**Author's Notes:** Long time, no update, I know. I'm sorry for that. I promise from now on, this will be update more frequently since I've finally got it all figured out. There won't be much of Bella's POV in this story, but it seems like everyone enjoys Edward's POV more anyway. Haha!

Many thanks to my beta **IcelandGirl812**, for overlooking this chapter, fixing any errors I had, and for helping me sort out all the strings of ideas floating around in my head. Thanks also for the song suggestion! Love ya, Erica!

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn, Midnight Sun, etc.

* * *

**Your Healing Touch**

Chapter Three

Feel the Pressure

_**"Nobody wants to go it on their own,  
And everyone wants to know they're not alone,  
Somebody else that feels the same somewhere.  
There's gotta be somebody for me out there.."**_

"Gotta Be Somebody" -- Nickelback

* * *

It had been two weeks. Two weeks filled with seeing patient after patient and their wounds I had to try and take care of. I was feeling more anxious than ever, remembering Isabella Swan was one of the patients I would have to see today. Jacob told me an overwhelmingly discreet secret that I wasn't prepared to hear. A secret that could, quite possibly, be one of the biggest things she was hiding from the world. And I - a man who didn't know her or anything about her life at all - was in on it.

Isabella Swan was currently a victim of spousal abuse. Her boyfriend, James, causing her the pain I thought had derived from a clumsy fall down the stairs or a slip while hiking. How wrong I was, though I really wish I hadn't been. That son of a goddamned bitch. I hate people like him. In a psychology class I took in college, my professor explained that the reasons behind abuse usually develop from the abuser _themselves_ being abused. Could that be the reason why James was hurting Bella? Either way, there was _no_ excuse. There was absolutely no excuse for it to be alright to _ever_ physically hit your significant other. Ever.

That fucker.

In all honesty, I shouldn't have felt the sickening anxiety in the pit of my stomach that was slashing through my insides like hell. I had dealt with tons of patients before who came in for spousal abuse, child abuse, etc. This was no different than any other time and as a professional, I had to suck it up and shove it into the back of my head. I didn't even know Isabella Swan personally, and yet I couldn't stand the idea of someone like him laying a single finger on her. It was my doctor instincts, I suppose.

I prepared myself and took a breath in, diving head first into professional Dr. Cullen mode as I knocked lightly and turned the knob of the door I stood in front of.

Bella was sitting on top of the cot, swinging her legs absentmindedly when I walked in. Finally noticing my presence, she smiled warmly at me, "Hey, Dr. Cullen."

"Good afternoon, Bella." I replied, pulling up a seat right beside her. "How are we feeling today?"

"I'm pretty good." she answered, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Yourself?"

"I'm fine, thank you for asking." I chuckled, pulling a pen out of my pocket. My fingers found their way to the healed injury on her head, and I smiled in relief when she didn't flinch at the applied pressure. "This doesn't hurt, does it?"

"Nope."

"Good, good." I scribbled it down on her chart. "Alright, how is the bruise? Have you been icing it?"

"Yeah. It's still a visible bruise, but it doesn't hurt as much anymore."

"I'll need to see the discoloration, if you don't mind."

She nodded and lifted up her shirt a bit. The bruise wasn't a hideous bluish purple anymore, but was instead a more bearable yellowish brown. That was good. That meant it was healing well. "It's looking good, Bella. It should be completely fine within a few more days." I jotted that down. "Hmm, your ribs. How are those feeling?"

"They still hurt, but it's tolerable." Bella replied, pulling her shirt back down.

"Have the pain medications helped any?"

"Yeah. I sleep a little easier at night with them."

"That's good." I put my clipboard and pen down, placing my hand lightly above her ribcage. "Now, you're going to feel a bit of pressure when I push down. I need you tell me if it hurts and when it starts hurting, okay?"

She nodded her understanding and I applied the littlest amount of pressure I could, seeing that she was fine. I traced my thumb along the lines of her ribs, feeling the indent in one of them as she winced slightly. "Did that hurt?"

"A little," she confessed.

I moved my hand a bit and traced another part of her rib, pulling away once she jerked in pain. "I'm sorry about that." I apologized, writing it down on her chart. Her ribs seemed to be in better condition, but they were nowhere near being fully healed. "Your ribs are still fractured, it seems. A few more weeks will do the trick."

"Alright, that's fine." Bella sighed in relief.

"How is your leg, by the way? Did you already have Dr. Oakes take out the stitches?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I went in to see her earlier last week. It wasn't exactly the most pleasant thing in the world to watch, but it's nothing new to me. I'm used to it." she laughed softly. "I _am_ an accident magnet after all."

I gripped my pen a little tighter at her words and how she covered up for him. Focus, Dr. Cullen, focus.

_James is the whole reason I wanted you to come out here to talk to me today_, I heard Jacob's words repeating themselves in my mind. _James is absolute scum and I fucking hate him_.

It wasn't my business.

_  
Bella's injuries aren't caused by her clumsiness at all. They're caused by James.  
_

It wasn't my fucking business.

Get back into Dr. Cullen mode, Edward. _Now_.

"Well like I said, you need to be more careful." I forced out a chuckle, signing her paper at the bottom. "I wouldn't want your whole life savings to be thrown away for hospital bills."

She rolled her eyes jokingly. "Thank goodness for insurance companies then, huh?"

I nodded and tucked my pen back into my pocket. "So, how's Nate doing?"

Bella was nothing but smiles when I brought him up, and it was refreshing, to say the least, to see her that way. Nate was obviously the pride and joy of her life, even though he wasn't her biological son. "He's a huge bundle of energy, as always."

"You have to remember to get some rest though, Bella. Doctor's orders."

She smiled and hopped off the cot, knowing her check-up was pretty much over. "Sure thing, Dr. Cullen. Do I have to make another follow-up appointment?"

"Yes, I'll need to monitor the healing process of your ribs, so can you schedule it for three weeks from now? By then it should be fully healed, I'm hoping."

"Alright then, thank you." She walked over to the door and opened it.

"Oh, and Ms. Swan?"

Her head turned to me and I gave her a crooked grin, "Say hi to Nathan for me, would you?"

"Of course," Bella smiled again at the mention of Nate. "I'll see you in three weeks."

As soon as she shut the door, I gripped my hair in my hands and heaved a long sigh. Why was it getting to me? Why did it bother me so much? I didn't know her. We weren't friends. Of course she wouldn't tell me herself that her injuries came from her abusive boyfriend. And yet, it was driving me crazy that she was lying right to my face about it.

I wasn't even _supposed _to know, dammit. _Of course_ she would lie about it. You don't see people running up to strangers on the streets and blurting out their deepest and darkest secrets. It didn't exactly make the situation any better, me being a doctor. Of course I'd have to report something like that, and more than likely, she was probably thinking that's the first thing I'd do.

I didn't blame her.

Anyone's initial reaction to something like that would be to run to the police. Hell, I _did_ want to go to the police, but it wasn't any of my business. It wasn't my place to interfere. Not just that, but even if I _did_ turn to the police, how would I prove it to be true? It's not as if I were doubting Jacob's word, but this was the first time I had ever seen her. I had nothing to back up my story. Nothing that could prove my words plausible.

If she had told me herself, that'd be a different story. But, _she_ didn't tell me. She obviously didn't want me or anyone else for that matter to know, so I had to respect her wishes.

But, Bella didn't deserve it. She seemed to be a kind, loving mother to Nate, even though he wasn't her child. From what Jacob told me, she took care of James when he was at his worst and stuck by him throughout it all. Yet he has the audacity to hit her time and time again when _she_ was the one who stayed after his girlfriend walked out?

Some people are just inconsiderate assholes who look past everything one has done for them. I hate that.

I groaned at the sudden headache I had once I pulled the door open and headed to the receptionist desk, seeing Angela arranging stacks of papers. Once she looked up and saw me, she smiled. "Did you need something, Dr. Cullen?"

"Could you give me the number for Allenmore Hospital, please?"

Within minutes, she handed me the number of the hospital and even included the address at the very bottom for future references. I gave her my thanks and went into my office, pressing the numbers written on the small piece of paper into the phone. I was hoping he was in the area of his office and not running around the hospital so I could speak to him for a brief moment.

"Allenmore Hospital. This is Mary speaking, how may I help you?"

"Could you connect me to Dr. Stiles' office line?" I asked, plopping down in my chair. "Tell him it's Dr. Edward Cullen."

"Sure thing, Dr. Cullen, just let me transfer your call."

It was silent for a few moments before another voice came on the line, "Joseph Stiles speaking."

"Joseph?"

"Edward Cullen!" he sounded surprised. "How the heck are you, kid? I haven't talked to you in a while."

"I'm doing just fine. Yourself?"

"Doing fine as well. So, what's up? What prompted you to call me during my lunch break?" he chuckled.

"I didn't mean to interrupt you during your break, Joseph. I'll make this brief." I ran my fingers through my hair. "You were the physician for an Isabella Swan before you were relocated, right?"

"Ahhh, the accident magnet that is Bella Swan. Yes, she was a patient of mine. Is she under your care now?"

"Yes. I just saw her earlier for a follow-up appointment." I heaved a sigh. "Just curious.. have you ever met her boyfriend?"

"The father of that kid she takes care of, right? James, I think his name was. Yes, I've talked with him a few times when Isabella would come in. He seems like a real nice guy. Always asked if she was alright and how long it would take her to recover and such. Cares about her a lot, I suppose."

Cares about her a lot? Yeah, I highly doubt that.

"Why do you ask?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose and tried to think of a good lie to tell. Put your thinking skills to work, Edward. "Just wondering. He's listed as one of her emergency contacts and when she came in the first time to see me, I thought he would've been with her. Oh, and can you believe she fell while hiking _and_ down a flight of stairs in the same day?" Total and complete lie. I knew the truth, but I couldn't say anything. Joseph obviously didn't have a clue and just thought she was clumsy as well. I thought the same thing before.

"Jeez, that girl really needs to be careful. I'm surprised she isn't in a body cast! You watch over her, okay Edward? She's a total sweetheart, so tell her to be more cautious, alright?"

"Sure thing, Joseph. Thanks for your time."

"No problem. I'll talk to you again soon, alright? Don't work too hard, you hear?"

"I won't. Thanks."

We hung up and I heaved another heavy sigh as I stared at the wall right in front of me. James seemed like a nice guy, Joseph said. Well, of course he had to _act_ like a nice guy. If he went around like the jackass he was, everyone would know he had problems.

Damn.

What exactly are you supposed to do in a situation like this? The doctor in me was screaming to just let Bella know that I knew the secret behind all her injuries, that her lies of being clumsy were not convincing me of anything at all. I wanted to find her help. I wanted her and Nate to stay far, far away from this James guy because neither of them deserved to be hurt.

Damn!

"Edward?" The door to my office suddenly opened, and Alice popped her short, spiky-haired head in. "I've been looking all over for you. You've got a patient waiting."

"Alright, Alice. I'll get right on it." I stood up and headed to the door, looking down at my sister who was clad in pink medical scrubs. "It's Dr. Cullen, remember?"

"Haven't we had this conversation before?" she groaned, crossing her arms. "I told you I'd only refer to Dad as Dr. Cullen. I don't think your name is Carlisle Cullen, Edward."

"Yes, but you should still refer to me as Dr. Cullen. Think of it as a form of respect." I flicked her forehead and turned to walk away before she could pounce on me like the angry pixie she was.

My thoughts went back to Bella as soon as I got away from Alice. I wanted to help her, I really did. But, I couldn't. As much as I wanted to, as much as I really wished there was something I could do, the fact of the matter was that, _I couldn't_.

And for some reason, the guilt of not being able to help her was eating away at me. Slowly, painfully, agonizingly, the guilt was eating away. It wasn't a good feeling, at all.

* * *

I went seven days without seeing or hearing from Bella Swan or Jacob. The hospital was the same as always. It was the same old routine of patients coming in and out like crazy, and me working endless hours devoted to seeing to their needs. Being so busy and pressed for time made it a little easier to push all thoughts of Bella and James out of my head, surprisingly. It's not that I didn't _want_ to care, it's just that no matter how much I _did_ care, there was nothing I could do.

And I _hated_ knowing that.

I hated feeling like I was so useless.

I was a doctor, and I couldn't help her.

My body was exhausted from lack of sleep. I struggled to keep my eyes open as I walked down the long hallway to the receptionist desk. My shift was almost over, but I needed to look over a few things and sort out insurance problems a patient had earlier with Angela. Before I could turn another corner, I heard my name being called out.

"Dr. Cullen!"

It was the woman who worked behind the desk at the emergency room. It surprised me to see her since this wasn't her department. As she neared me, I tried to remember her name. What was it again? Oh, yeah. "Rebecca. Is something wrong?"

She placed her hand over her chest and was breathing heavily. "There's a patient in the ER who demands you see them. He specifically requested you, and refuses help from anybody else."

My eyebrow raised at this as we both started our quick paced walk back to the emergency room. "But the ER isn't my department. Are you sure they asked for me specifically?"

Rebecca nodded and pushed one of the doors open. "He demanded 'Dr. Edward Cullen, and nobody else'. We didn't know what else to do, so they sent me to find you. I'm sorry, Dr. Cullen. I know you're working, and--"

"That's alright, Rebecca, don't worry about it. I'll take care of it."

Another receptionist behind the glass window of the ER buzzed us in and Rebecca led me down the row of cots. She stopped at the very last one and turned to me without a word. I nodded my understanding and she silently thanked me, leaving to go back and do her job. I pushed the curtain aside, my eyes widening at what I saw.

It was Bella, Jacob, and Nate. Nate seemed to be sleeping peacefully in Bella's arms, his face calm and serene, being the complete opposite of the emotions dancing in Jacob's eyes and the sadness beneath Bella's features. Something was definitely, definitely wrong.

The silence between us all was deafening, and as firmly as he could without waking Nate, Jacob spoke up. "Dr. Cullen, I'm sorry to have caused any kind of trouble by asking you to come here."

"It was no trouble at all, don't worry." I replied, trying to ignore the look on Bella's face as she bit her lip and hung her head, averting Jacob's dark and bitter eyes at all costs. "So, what seems to be the problem?"

Jacob turned to Bella, heaving a long sigh. "Tell him, Bells."

Her arms tightened around Nate, still refusing to make eye contact with either of us. "I'm so sorry, Dr. Cullen. There's nothing we need to discuss. Everything's fine."

"Bullshit." Jacob growled lowly, surprising both Bella and myself. "Fucking _tell_ him! Maybe he can help you!"

"You're going to wake him up," she hissed, cradling the small boy's head between her shoulder and her hand. "I don't need any help with anything. I have a follow-up appointment with him two weeks from now. I'm healing up just fine."

Jacob gripped his hair between his fingers, turning to me with pleading eyes. "Dr. Cullen, I know this is a room separated only by curtains, so do you think you could check Bella's injuries for me in another room?"

"My injuries are _fine_, Jacob. Stop acting like you're my father!" Bella interjected, receiving a hard glare from him right after.

Before they could start bickering, I asked them to follow me to an empty room. Once we stepped inside, I asked Bella to sit on the cot and she agreed to do so. She handed Nate to Jacob, where he sat down in a chair in the corner of the room. I took a seat right in front of Bella, remembering I didn't have her medical charts with me. "I don't have your charts, so.."

"I'm telling you, there is _nothing_ wrong." Bella sighed, and for a brief moment, I thought her eyes were tearing up. "Jake, nothing's wrong! We're wasting Dr. Cullen's time, can we please just leave? I'm fine."

"You are definitely not _fine_, Bella." Jacob spat. "Show him the injuries and let _him_ decide whether or not you're fine. He's the doctor, not you."

I was right when I assumed her eyes were tearing up. She bit her lip and turned away from us both, tears sliding down her cheeks as she spoke, "I don't need to show him anything, Jake. It's fine, _I'll_ be fine. Please, let's leave. Please."

To my surprise, Jacob stood up at her pleas and gently handed Nate to me. "Hold him for a sec, would you?"

I nodded and took the sleeping child into my arms, holding him as best as I could manage since I had absolutely no experience with children or babies. His small hands clutched onto the collar of my white coat as I held him close, rocking him gently. It wasn't until Bella yelped out that I turned my gaze back towards the both of them.

"Jacob!" Bella cried, wincing when Jacob took her wrist and held it out to me.

I didn't understand. Where was this leading to?

"This, Dr. Cullen," he lifted up the sleeve of Bella's sweatshirt, and if my grip on Nate hadn't had been so strong, I just might have dropped him. Might.

Large purplish bruises ran down along the pale skin of Bella's forearm, and if I had to make a guess, I'd say they were in the shape of fingers. "_This_ is exactly why I demanded _you_ to see her, and no one else. That's not even all of it."

He softly put down Bella's arm and pulled down her sweater a bit to reveal her shoulder. The same finger-shaped bruises were there, and when Jacob gestured for me to look at the back of her shoulder, I winced. It looked swollen, blue and purple in all the places you'd never expect, trailing all the way to the space between both of her shoulder blades. What the hell did he do to her? Shove her against a brick wall or something?

"Holy.." I muttered to myself, wondering if that was the last of it. I hoped, prayed,_ begged_ that was the last of it.

"Jacob, stop. That's enough." Bella whimpered, backing away from him as he held out his sleeve to her face. At first I thought he was wiping her tears, but her cries of pain proved otherwise. He pulled his arm away and it seriously felt like my heart dropped to the floor in agony.

Smudges of light brown makeup were smeared onto the sleeve of Jacob's hoodie, and the bruise she had been hiding upon her left cheekbone was now completely visible to the naked eye. How long had her face been like that? Was I really that blind to have missed it?..

"I'd show you the rest, but I don't think even _I_ could stomach looking at them again." Jacob murmured, turning away.

I couldn't bring myself to say anything. I felt so useless. I was a damned doctor for goodness sakes! The least I could do was tell her to ice it, give her some kind of ointment, prescribe her pills to alleviate the pain, _anything_. But, no, I didn't do any of that. Instead, I just stared at her. What the hell was wrong with me?

"Bella," Jacob spoke again, his voice losing all the toughness that was just there a few minutes ago. "You _need_ to tell him. He can help you. I'm begging you, please. Tell him."

She dropped her head again, her soft sobs echoing in the silent room. I knew exactly what she needed to say, but I had to wait for _her_ to say it. If she didn't want to tell me, she didn't have to. It wasn't any of my business. I had no right to tell her what to do. Wait for it, Edward.

Oh, hell.

"Bella."

The sound of my voice must have surprised them both since up until that point, I hadn't said anything at all. She looked up at me, her brown eyes crying tears of shame and despair, her arms wound tightly around her body as if she were trying to prevent herself from falling apart. If she wanted to tell me, then she could. If she wanted to trust me, then she could.

"Whatever it is you need to say, I can assure you," I tightened my grip around her sleeping son. "Your secret will be safe with me."

In that moment, I didn't feel just like a doctor reaching out to his patient. I felt like a _friend_ reaching out to another friend.

I _wanted_ her to trust me. I _wanted_ her to tell me.

Her eyes closed, and I waited patiently.

Never mind.

To hell with not being able to do anything.

To hell with the phrase "I can't".

I wanted to help her.

And dammit, if it took me days or weeks or even _months_, I would help her. I would help Nate. Whatever it took. If I couldn't do that, I'd_ try_. Try my very hardest to make the both of them safe again.

I'll help you, Bella. I promise I will try. I'll help you..

.

.

.

.

_**End of Chapter Three**_

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Ooooh, this was tough to write. This is definitely nothing like _**Hello, Stranger**_. This story is drama and angst whereas _**Hello, Stranger**_ is strictly comedy. Be easy on me guys, I don't write much angst.

I don't think this story will be too long. I'm thinking maybe around 15 chapters? Since I've finally got all my ideas put together for this, the updates will be more frequent. Hopefully you all won't be too hard on me! So, how about some feedback? Reviews? I'd appreciate it lots!

Until next time then,

--_Burrberry Bugsy_


	4. Chapter Four: I'm Not Broken

**Author's Notes:** Life is kicking me in the butt! Ugh, and college is beginning to become such a damn handful :( But, thank you for reading! And reviewing, adding to your favorites/alerts, etc. I appreciate it so much! Oh and I just got my preordered Twilight DVD, along with a cute Twilight tote for free and two boxes of Sweethearts conversation hearts, Twilight version. Wow, lots of Twilight this and Twilight that. Haha! Also, a quick shout-out to **iponeddyou **for the amazingly lovely banner she created for this story! She was also nice enough to make one for my other story _**Hello, Stranger**_ as well. So thank you SO much because I love them both. They're up on my profile if anyone would like to see :)

Many, many thanks to my wonderful beta **IcelandGirl812 **for looking over this chapter for me so quickly, helping with plot problems, and for just being a great friend in general. Love ya, Erica!

**Disclaimer**: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight.

* * *

**Your Healing Touch**

**Chapter Four**

**I'm Not Broken**

_**"If I smile and don't believe,  
Soon I know I'll wake from this dream  
Don't try to fix me, I'm not broken.  
Hello, I'm the lie living for you so you can hide.  
Don't cry.."**_

_**"Hello" by Evanescence**_

* * *

It felt like time had stopped in that room we were in and the uncomfortable silence was really beginning to get to me. I was staring directly into Bella's solemn eyes that were glued to the floor, her hands clenching and unclenching together in hesitation.

I let her know that her secret would be safe with me, but that didn't mean she was going to tell me. Nate squirmed in my hold, and for a second I thought I had woken him up. Thankfully, he was just tired of the position he was in and instead rested his head against my shoulder as I cradled him softly. If Bella wanted time to tell me, I'd give her time. Rushing her was definitely not going to get anybody anywhere.

"Dr. Cullen," she softly spoke, "I can't thank you enough for being such a huge help. But, there is really nothing wrong. I'm a little clumsier than I thought. I'll be fine. All I have to do is ice the bruises, right? I promise to take it easy. I'm sorry to have caused you any trouble tonight."

I opened my mouth to say something, but Jacob beat me to it.

"Isabella Marie Swan, you have _got_ to be kidding me!" Jacob shot out of the chair he had been sitting in, punching his fist into the wall beside him. "I can't believe you. I can't _fucking _believe you!"

"Jake!" Bella frowned at the language he was using, pulling Nate from my arms as he stirred and whimpered softly. "Will you lower your voice? We're in a hospital!"

"Do you want me to tell him myself? Cause dammit, if it will get you any kind of help, then I'm doing it. Heaven help me, Bella, I will tell him right now if you don't stop covering up for that son of a bitched asshole you call a boyfriend."

I kept my mouth shut as they yelled back and forth. As much as I wanted to give my insight and get any kind of a word in, I wasn't part of the conversation. It wasn't my place to intercede.

"That son of a bitched asshole you're referring to is your CEO. I think the whole reason why you're able to support yourself and Billy is because I talked him into getting you that job at his business firm. He deserves a little more respect than that."

Jacob groaned into his hands and shook his head angrily. "Do you really have to rub it in by telling me he's the reason why I'm able to support Billy and myself? Thanks, Bells. Really, thanks so much."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Okay, I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry. Are you happy now?"

"No, Bella, I am _not_ happy. Not in the least bit," he spat bitterly. "You're still going to pretend as if all that shit on your arms and body was because you're clumsy? Edward can help you, Bella! He's a doctor, for goodness sakes!"

"He doesn't need to help me with anything, Jake, I'm fine. Can you stop being such an overzealous father-wannabe and just drop it?" She held Nate closer to her and kissed the top of his head, murmuring soft words into his ear that I couldn't comprehend.

I turned my attention back towards Jacob, surprised to see his dark gaze softening a bit, almost looking like he was trying to prevent a huge mental breakdown from happening. "Alright, Bells, fine. I'll be in the car." He reached over and took Nate out of her arms, making sure not to wake him. "I'll get him in the car seat. At least thank Dr. Cullen for taking the time to see you."

He left without another word, leaving Bella in the room with me. I saw her raise a hand up to her face where she wiped away some stray tears that had managed to sneak their way down her cheeks. I ran a hand through my hair and patted her knee gently.

"Be cautious of your back when sleeping. Try to lie on your stomach as much as possible and ice your arms so the bruises disappear faster."

She looked up at me, curiosity blazing beneath her watery brown eyes as she opened her mouth to say something, "Wait, what?"

"Your injuries." I swallowed back the words I _really _wanted to say. She didn't want me knowing about the story behind them, so I had to pretend that I actually believed they _were_ from her clumsiness.

"Oh," she whispered. Her head made the movements of a nod as she hopped off the cot. "Alright, I'll do just that, Dr. Cullen. Thanks so much for seeing me at such an unexpected time. And... I'm really sorry about Jacob's outburst. He isn't usually so wordy."

"It was no problem at all, Bella. There is no need for any kind of apology." I held my hand out to her and she willingly took it, shaking it as she placed her free hand on the handle of the door. "Oh, but please..." I hesitated with the phrase. "...try to be careful from now on."

Her eyes saddened a little as she placed a small smile on her face. "I'll try, Dr. Cullen. Thanks."

It stabbed at my heart as I watched her leave, knowing she was heading right back to the arms of the man responsible for her being so damned broken. And me, standing there, with absolutely no way to help her even though I wanted so badly to.

_Fuck_.

* * *

Two weeks passed after the incident, and Bella never came in for the follow-up appointment I had asked her to schedule. She told me she would schedule it, and I even saw that her appointment slot was filled not too many days ago when I last checked. I was always expecting to go into rooms and see her sitting there on the cot, but I kept getting disappointed. Curiosity got the better of me and when it was time for me to take a break, I headed to the reception desk where Angela greeted me with her warm smile as she always did.

"Good afternoon, Dr. Cullen. Did you need something?"

I ran my fingers through my hair and fumbled with the stethoscope hanging around my neck. "Did Isabella Swan make an appointment to see me today?"

"Isabella Swan, was it?" She went down the list of names and times before she stopped at one with a line drawn through it. "Yes, she originally had an appointment with you today at 3, but she called a few days ago to cancel."

"Did she state her reason for cancelling?"

Angela shook her head. "Not really, no. She said she was feeling much better and didn't think the follow-up was necessary. She didn't even reschedule."

I nodded my understanding. "Could you get me her records please?"

"Her patient records or her medical history?" Angela asked, already over at the huge shelf behind her, shuffling through the hundreds upon hundreds of folders.

"Both, if you could."

After a few more seconds of shuffling, she took out two folders and handed them to me. I thanked her and made my way back into my office that I referred to as my sanctuary. It was where I could calm myself down after long hours of work and find any kind of relaxation to keep on going. Work was hard. Stressful. Tiring. Yet, I loved it and could never picture myself anywhere else. I opened Bella's record that held her personal information. Angela really wasn't supposed to let me just take it, but I knew I was one of the only ones she allowed to do so. She and most everyone else at the hospital knew how much I cared for each and every single one of my patients.

SWAN, ISABELLA MARIE was at the top. Date of birth: September 13th, 1986. I hummed to myself in thought, realizing she was only three years younger than me and had already gone through so much. I scanned through the next couple of lines. Gender, I already knew. Social security number and medical record number were of no use to me, so I kept scanning down until I finally reached the lines I had been looking for.

My hand scribbled Bella's apartment address across the post-it pad atop my desk. I hadn't made a house call in a while, but I figured now was as good a time as ever. If she had cancelled because she was too busy with Nate, I'd be doing her a favor by checking up on her at home. I also took a note of her cell and apartment's phone number just in case. A few more lines down, I saw the two people she had listed as her emergency contacts. BLACK, JACOB was the first. He was listed as "friend" under the relationship category and next to that were his contact numbers. The name below his made me grip my pen firmer and when I lifted it up off the post-it note, a huge blob of ink remained. I cursed inwardly but was glad the excess ink didn't smear anything I had written.

VALENTE, JAMES was listed as "boyfriend" under the relationship category. I closed my eyes and tried to fight off the images of the bruises surfacing Bella's body. She had so many of them and those were only the ones I could _actually_ see. Who's to say how many more there were covered behind the use of makeup, beneath her jeans or under her clothing where I couldn't see? He was scum. I didn't even have to know him personally to categorize him as scum in my book. I didn't make a note of either his or Jacob's phone numbers. A heavy sigh escaped my body as I closed the folder and opened the other one containing her medical history. The list was still a shock to me. As I read down every injury written down, I began to wonder just how many of these had been because of this so called James.

With another sweep of my fingers through my hair, I exhaled a breath and took a glance at the watch on my wrist. 3:45pm. I only had about two hours left of my shift and then I would be done for the day. Thank goodness. I was suddenly glad for the medical kit I kept in the trunk of my car at all times. After work, I could head straight to Bella's to check up on her ribs and then get myself some much needed rest without having to make too many trips back and forth.

I straightened up the papers I had looked through and put them back in their appropriate folders, making sure to shove the post-it into my pocket before leaving the room.

* * *

The sky was beginning to turn a reddish color, the sun just beginning to set as I parked my car in front of the Metropolitan apartment complex. It was a nicely designed building with small patches of flowers in the front and even a few tables with umbrellas over them. I grabbed my medical bag from the trunk of my car before I headed up the stairs to the fourth floor where her room was located. I kept scanning the room numbers until I finally found #221. I lifted the golden knocker and rapped it against her door three times.

I waited.

No answer.

Once again I rapped at her door, a little louder this time. Still, nothing. I contemplated calling her to see if she was even home at all but as I leaned back against the handle of the door, it opened slightly. My eyes widened at the thought of her leaving her apartment door open and before I could think, I stepped inside. _Oh god, I'm fucking breaking and entering into a patient's home_! I screamed in my head angrily. I wanted to step back out, lock the door for her, and just go home. What in the hell was I thinking? I could get arrested for goodness sake! My eyes scanned the interior of her small apartment and it looked like everything was fine. No signs of robbery or anyone, besides myself, breaking and entering. I walked a few more steps to the black piano positioned in front of her balcony. It had a great view, and I suddenly wondered if she could play. I brushed my fingers along the smooth ivory of the keys, aching to play something, but remembering I was there for other purposes. I shouldn't have even been touching the goddamn piano!

I shook my desire to run my fingers along those keys to a tune of Beethoven as my eyes wandered to the wall where three framed pictures were hung. One was of her and her parents, it looked like, at her high school graduation. Bella looked much younger and much happier than I had seen her before. Her arms held two huge bundles of roses, balloons, and a "Class of 2004" sash hung from around her neck. I looked over at the one next to it and instantly recognized the person standing next to her. Bella was in regular clothes, again looking so much happier, with a newly "Class of 2006" graduated Jacob Black. They really _had_ been best friends for years. My lips curved into a crooked grin at the last picture which was of her and Nate on Halloween, I was guessing. Nate was dressed in a Spider-man costume, his hand clutched in Bella's as she held the Spidey mask in her other. His plastic pumpkin seemed to be overflowing with candy, and he looked just as ecstatic as ever. I scanned around for any other pictures because I had yet to see one of James. _There's probably pictures in her bedroom_, I thought to myself.

Once again, I had an inner conflict of trying to decide on whether or not it was rational for me to even be inside her apartment without her there, without her even _knowing_ I was there. I groaned and gripped my medical bag in my hand tighter as I slowly turned the knob to her room.

What I saw, I was _definitely_ not prepared for.

Bella, sitting on the floor in front of her bed with her knees curled up to her chest, her soft sobs echoing quietly in the emptiness of her room. Almost immediately, I dropped my bag out of surprise, the noise of it dropping being enough to get her to look up. She stared at me, shocked, but not angry.

I shook my head at the sight, trying to tell myself I was there for a reason. "Ms. Swan," I don't even know why the hell I was being so formal. I had just broken into her place and I didn't want to be arrested, maybe that's why. "I'm sorry if my being here is a bit startling. I feel like such a jerk for just waltzing in, but since you cancelled your appointment..." I trailed off and realized she was still staring at me like she had just seen a ghost. "I thought I'd make a house call to check up on you. I was worried, but I understand it's completely uncalled for, for me to just show up unannounced."

I reached down to pick up my bag and clutched the handle of it tightly within my grasp. "I apologize again for barging in. It was completely unorthodox of me to do so. Just be sure to take care of yourself, alright?" As I turned and tried to walk out, something stopped me.

I turned my head slightly, my eyes widening at Bella's small hand which now had a surprisingly strong grip on my wrist.

"Don't... leave, just yet," she whispered. Her grasp tightened, and I couldn't see the look on her face because her head hung low with her hair working as a curtain to shield herself away from my eyes.

My mouth opened and then closed in an attempt to say something - _anything_ to her. Regardless of how strong her grip was on my wrist, she was still shaking. I turned around and bent down to her height, holding her shoulders firmly to help her calm down. "Bella, is everything alright?"

She shook her head as she clenched her hands into fists on her lap. I went into full doctor mode and helped her to her feet, getting her to sit down on her bed so I could examine her thoroughly. "Is it your ribs? Are they bothering you?" Without waiting for her to answer, I opened my bag and shuffled around for the gel ice pack I kept in there. If she popped it in the freezer for an hour or two, it'd be ready to use.

"Dr. Cullen," Bella grabbed the back of my shirt, causing me to stop my frantic actions. "Will you do me a favor and turn on the lights?"

I looked back at her, raising a brow in confusion. What good would that do? The room was slightly dim because the curtains were shut and the sun was already setting, but it wasn't too bad. I could still see her fine.

"Please." Her voice came out sounding like a plea, and I couldn't say no anymore after that. She released the part of my shirt she had been holding as I walked over to the light switch and flipped it. The room illuminated instantly from the overhead bulbs, and I suddenly felt the same excruciating feeling in my stomach that I felt the last time I had seen her.

Her big brown eyes were red and puffy all around. The bruise she had tried to cover up on her left cheekbone looked even worse than before, and she was still shaking. I now knew exactly why she was so upset, but I tried as hard as I could to shove it into the back of my head. _You're not supposed to know, Edward. You're not supposed to fucking know! Act normal, put yourself into Dr. Cullen mode. Do it!_ I screamed in my head, noticing she was staring at her hands that were still balled into fists in her lap. "Bella, your face. That looks like it hurts. Do you..." _Fuck!_ I was stuttering because of how much anger I was trying to hold back. "Do you want some ice? I can wrap some in a washcloth for you if you--"

"I have something to tell you, Dr. Cullen," Bella spoke as tears continued to cascade down her cheeks. "Something I need you to keep to yourself. Promise me."

I heaved a heavy sigh and got down low enough beside her so we were looking right at each other. "Remember what I said? I told you that whatever it was you needed to say, it would be safe with me, right?" This was it. I just hoped and pleaded that this time, it would be the truth and not some sugar-coated lie to cover for her abusive boyfriend.

Her eyes closed as she put her arms close together, palms facing up. "Jacob keeps telling me to tell you. If he trusts you, so do I. I believe him. So just, promise me."

I already knew what awaited me underneath those sleeves, but I really didn't want to have to look again. It pained me too much already to know what she was going through, and now I'd have to _physically_ see what was being done to her again. _Fuck_. "I promise."

She waited for me to lift up her sleeves, so I did. Slowly, I moved the fabric away from her forearm as she winced at my touch. I bit my lip and tried to remain calm as all her new bruises manifested themselves into my brain. I did the same to her other arm and cringed when the damage was just as bad.

Jacob was right. James Valente was absolute, fucking scum.

"That's not all." Bella bravely turned to the side so her back faced me. She slowly lifted up her shirt enough for me to see the whole lower half of her back, bruised purple and blue like the rest of her body. I only got a glimpse, but it was already too much. I tugged at her shirt and brought it back down, not wanting to see anymore.

"What exactly are you trying to say to me, Isabella?" My voice came out lower than I wanted as I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"_Don't_ call me Isabella, please, I beg of you." She placed her hands at her ears and more tears spilled out of her eyes. "Don't. _Never_ Isabella. It's just Bella. Please."

My eyes widened at her reaction. For the first time in a long time, I was scared for someone. I was scared for _her_. All it took for her to break down was that simple use of her full name. Just how much emotional and physical damage did this guy cause...? "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. I--"

"_He_ calls me that. Every time I've done something wrong, he tells me that, and then... Oh, _god_." She broke out into a sob as I held her shoulders firmly again. I took in a breath through my nose and tried as hard as I could to resist the urge to punch the wall behind me while pretending it was that asshole's face.

"Bella," I closed my eyes and opened them in an attempt to calm down. "Who calls you that? You're not making sense. I can't help you if you don't tell me."

"I don't want you to _help_ me," she cried. "I just... I want someone there. Jacob, he's..." Her sobs weren't helping her talk coherently, so I tried to make out her words the best I could. "James is... James is the reason, for all this."

_Play dumb, Edward. You're not supposed to know_. "Who's James?"

Bella buried her face in her hands and shook her head. "Boyfriend. He's... my, boyfriend."

Anyone would be able to piece the two parts of information together, but I had to make sure she told me herself, that the _actual_ words were said. "Okay. So, James is your boyfriend. What does James do to you when he calls you Is-" I cut myself off, "-that? What happens, Bella? I need to know."

"He..." She hesitated, but I wasn't going to have that. She needed to tell me, _I_ needed her to tell me.

"Bella, do me a favor please, and look at me."

Her reddened brown eyes met mine, her confusion distinctly clear at the request I had made. Once I had her gaze locked with mine, I spoke, "I know it's hard to talk so deeply to someone you don't even know. I have to do it every hour of every day. I have to tell people some of the worst things they'll ever have to hear. People I've never seen in my life sometimes. New patients, old patients, young patients. Cancer, diabetes, you've only got this amount of time to live. It's hard, Bella, it's really hard. But regardless of how I know they'll react, I know I have to be brave. I can't wimp out and not tell them just because it's hard for me." My hands loosened on her shoulders once she wasn't shaking anymore. "You're scared to tell me, I know you are. But, you have to be brave. You can trust me. I told you, even promised you, I'd keep it to myself."

She searched my eyes for any sign of deceit and sighed in relief, most likely finding no sign at all. She bit her lip and sighed softly, looking away from me. "James... He hits me, Dr. Cullen. So many times, _too_ many times." Her head dropped to her hands again. "I feel so helpless when it comes to this situation. I can't do anything because James is... Ah! I can't do anything because-"

"Of Nate?" I finished for her as she stared at me, baffled.

"How did you know that?"

_Ah, fuck!_ "Lucky guess. It's obvious how much you love him. I knew he wasn't your actual child, otherwise your medical history would've shown records of pregnancy." _Good save_. "Bella, something like this is a very serious issue... If you'll let me, I'd like to try and find you some help."

Her eyes watered up again as she turned away and lifted up her sleeves, running her fingers lightly over the bruises on her arms. "I don't _want_ help, that's the thing. It's a complicated situation, and I wish I could tell you all the details, but," she paused, "please understand that it's not help I need. I just want someone... _here_. Someone who won't be like Jacob and berate me into telling some shrink or some police officer something I want kept a secret. I need the comfort, the distraction..." It didn't take long for her tears to flow freely after that. "I need someone, _anyone_. To just _listen_ to me. To just, I don't know, hold me and tell me everything will be alright. To just... not judge me for staying with him? I don't know, Dr. Cullen. I don't know..."

"No. None of that Dr. Cullen talk. Just call me Edward." I pushed aside every doctor bit of me that told me to stay a comfortable distance away when I took her into my arms and just held her there against me. She must have been shocked at the action, but I didn't care.

I wasn't Dr. Cullen at that moment.

I was Edward.

Her _friend_.

And she said she needed someone to hold her, someone to tell her, "Bella, everything will be alright. I don't know how, or when, but it will be. You and Nate and everything will be okay."

She relaxed in my hold and let her arms wrap around my shoulders, letting all the walls around her crumble aside. I'd give her my arms to be held in, my shoulder to cry on if that's what she wanted. Right now, this _is_ what she wanted. And until she asked me to help her, I would do nothing but be what she wanted.

I don't know what it was about Bella Swan that was making me feel the way I did. The need to protect her, the desire for her to be happy... I don't know where it came from, but it was there, whether I liked it or not.

Her voice came out in a muffled sob I didn't understand. My brows furrowed as I held her closer and rubbed gentle circles as lightly as I could without causing more pain to her already injured back. "Bella, shhhh, everything will be alright."

Bella's arms tightened around me, and I barely made out her soft voice, "Thank you..."

I continued to hold her for as long as she needed me to and before I knew it, I was humming a lullaby my mother used to sing to me all the time softly in her ear.

* * *

**End of Chapter Four**

* * *

**Author's Notes:** And so, the Bella and Edward romance begins to unfold. Slowly, but surely, it will unfold. I'm gunning for this story to be about 15-18 chapters. It won't be too long, but it's enough to get my idea of the story through.

I hate even writing about the _injuries_ Bella has, so there won't ever be a BPOV with her and James while he's in the process of actually hurting her. Granted, there will be a few BPOV bits here and there, but not much because I want this to revolve around Edward.

Oh, by the way, James' last name is pronounced Vuh-Len-Tay. It's one of my friend's last names.

Reviews would be a nice way to let me know what's on your mind! Pretty please? Until next time then!

--_Burrberry Bugsy_


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